Post-hole auger.



R. T. JENNEY. POST HOLE AUGER. V APPLIOATION FILED MAR.1B, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

"WEI/TOR 13019 12313 1927269 Aim/Mrs ROBERT THOMAS JENNEY, OF DE PERE, WISCONSIN.

POST-HOLE AUGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Serial No. 484,294.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT T. JENNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of De Pere, in the county of Brown and State of WVisconsin, have invented a new and Improved Post-Hole Auger, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. V

This invention relates to post hole augers such as are used in boring holes in the ground to insert posts or poles, or for similar purposes. The device belongs to a type presenting two oppositely disposed blades which are formed at their lower extremities into cutters ar knives which cut through the earth when the device is revolved.

The object of the present invention is to provide the blades with auxiliary centrally disposed cutters and to provide a construction which will insure that these central cutters or bits will be rigidly held.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a post hole auger constructed according to my invention, a portion of the stem or handle thereof being broken away; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the cutter head at the lower end of the device; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device viewed from its lower extremity; Fig. 4c is a cross section on the line a 4. of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through the lower end of the cutter head and showing the construction for insuring the rigidity of the center cutters or bits; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation showing one of the blades removed.

- Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 represents the handle of the device which is adapted to be made of tubing or similar material, and the lower end of this handle is secured in a socket 2 which forms the middle part of a fork 3 having two arms a which extend downwardly, as shown. To the lower extremity of the arms 4:, blades 5, 5, are attached. These blades are substantially of the same form. The bodies of the elevation, as shown in Fig. 2, but are curved cylindricallyabout the central axis of the cutter head so that they constitute curved shells.

Adjacent to the rear vertical edges of the blades, with respect to the direction of rotation, the blades are formed with downwardly extending inwardly curved teeth 6, and the forward edges 7, with respect to the direction of rotation of these blades, are sharpened, as will be readily understood. The remainder of the lower portion of each shell, near the root of the tooth 6, is bent inwardly so as to form inwardly inclined substantially flat cutters 8. These cutters meet at the point 9 and present fiat vertical faces 10 at this part, which seat against each other, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 3. Beyond these flattened faces or checks 10, the material of each cutter 8 is bent so as to form radially projecting bits 11 which are of substantially triangular form, as viewed in side elevation in Fig. 1, and which present their greatest width at their lowest point. At the cheeks 10 the cutters 8 are rigidly connected together by a bolt or rivet 12, as indicated.

As shown in Fig. 1, the central bits 11 project slightly below the extremities of the teeth 6.

At the upper end of the handle 1, a T- connection 13 is attached, in which there is secured a handle bar 14. By means of this handle bar the device may be rotated while held in a vertical position, so that its lower end or cutterhead will advance downwardly into the earth.

It will be seen that the arrangement described, consisting in constructing the cutters 8 so that they present flat abutting faces, is highly advantageous as it gives these cutters great rigidity. This rigidity is increased by the rivet which secures the abutting cheeks together. The bits 11 operate to loosen the earth on the central axis of the hole and greatly facilitate the operation of the side teeth 6 and the cutters 8, they also assist materially in starting the device at the ground level and operate as centering devices for the head.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,--

1. A device of the class described presenting oppositely disposed curved shells having downwardly and inwardly extending teeth adapted to cut the earth and having inwardly and downwardly extending integral blades, said blades having cheeks abutting against each other having points bent transversely to saidcheeks and projecting diametrically opposite to each other.

-2. A device of the class described, presenting a pair of oppositely disposed curved shells having integral downwardly extending teeth projecting inwardly, said shells having inwardly and downwardly extending blades presenting cheeks abutting together, and a fastener at said cheeks connecting said blades directly to each other, said blades having extensions projecting downwardly and forming bits disposed adjacent to the central axis between said shells. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ROBERT THOJHAS JENNEY. Witnesses:

RosALIND SALTER, ANDREW H. LAW. 

